Title: Yıldız Holding/Ülker: Food Systems Can Be Resolved Through the Responsibility of All Stakeholders from Farm to Table

The 10th Sustainable Food Summit, organized in collaboration with the Turkish Food Industry Employers' Union (TÜGİS) and the Sustainability Academy, has kicked off with topics that address food's present and future from a 360-degree perspective. Kaan Sidar, Chairman of TÜGİS, delivered the opening speech, stating, “The existing resources of the world need to be used efficiently, and the needs of the ever-increasing global population must be met fairly. This becomes even more crucial when it comes to food.” Murat Sungur Bursa, President of the Sustainability Academy, remarked, “Today, the food sector encompasses a wide range of businesses and employees beyond just agriculture and industry. We consider providing healthy food as the greatest service to the world.” Murat Ülker, Board Member of Yıldız Holding and Chairman of Pladis and Godiva, emphasized the importance of integrating sustainable development into life and business vision using the food sector as an example.

The Sustainable Food Summit, now in its tenth year with the theme “Transformation for the Future of Food,” aims to develop a common vision and strategy for redesigning the food chain. The event commenced in Istanbul, drawing a large audience. Kaan Sidar stressed that sustainability is one of today's most frequently used concepts, stating, “Efficient use of the world’s existing resources and fair meeting of the increasing global population's needs is essential. This is even more significant regarding food. All stakeholders in the food sector must work in coordination and solidarity for sustainability. The Sustainable Food Summit was initiated ten years ago in collaboration with TÜGİS and the Sustainability Academy to accomplish this mission and has evolved into a broad organization bringing together all stakeholders in the sector, including academia, finance, industry, business circles, media, SMEs, and NGOs. This year, at our summit, representatives of the food sector will discuss how to design food systems that can produce enough food to feed the world population despite limited resources and the impacts of the climate crisis, as well as how to achieve transformation in food.” Sidar concluded his remarks by thanking all participants, particularly Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, for attending the summit.

“Healthy food service is the greatest service that can be offered to the world.” During the opening speeches, Murat Sungur Bursa emphasized, “With the Sustainable Food Summit we are organizing for the tenth time this year, we aim to contribute to the private sector's business practices in harmony with sustainability. Today, the food sector goes beyond just agriculture and industry; it encompasses numerous businesses and employees. It is essential to highlight the importance of safe and sustainable food for the health, future, and independence of society. We consider providing healthy food as the greatest service to the world. Beyond being an agricultural activity, food holds great significance for the future of our planet and humanity.” Bursa concluded his speech by thanking all stakeholders who participated at the highest level regarding important issues related to the food sector.

Among the opening speakers was Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, who began his speech by thanking TÜGİS, which has been bringing together sector representatives for 63 years. He stated, “We witness that the issue of food supply and security continues to hold significant importance on countries' agendas, just as it did in the past. Through our multifaceted support, we ensure that our food industry ranks among the leading sectors.”

Murat Ülker provided an example of a “waste-free company” in his speech, illustrating the significance of incorporating sustainable development into life and business vision using the food sector. He stressed that food waste significantly impacts food productivity, stating, “Globally, food productivity has decreased by approximately 21%. Thirteen percent of food is wasted immediately after harvest, and 17% is wasted either at sale points or in households.” He underscored that both economic and ecological resilience need to be strengthened to increase productivity, reiterating the emphasis on a waste-free company: “Food systems can be solved with the responsibility of all stakeholders from farm to table. This transformation encompasses not only environmental sustainability but also economic and social sustainability. To make our production systems sustainable, we must abandon old practices. Our goal should be to accelerate the transition to inclusive food systems. We call this a waste-free company, which means an efficient company.” Providing the example of Ülker within the context of a waste-free company, Ülker added, “Practices aimed at reducing waste should be developed at all stages, from harvest to consumption. We are reducing our transportation mileage by 20,000 km per year and developing projects aimed at carbon reduction and energy savings. We realize this with a shared understanding among all our stakeholders, starting from the holding.”